Steps Toward a Sharper Memory

Dear Cydney,

Lately, I've been going to every class and keeping up with my reading, but I feel like I forget everything! How can I improve my memory?

—Can't Make It Stick

Dear CMIS,

You are not alone. I regularly forget things that I wish I could remember—appointments, directions to my doctor's office, how much money I have left in my checking account—you get the idea. The reason? Usually, either lack of interest/attention or lack of practice.

So CMIS, here's Tip #1: Get interested in what you're learning. You've got to do more than just read or listen in order to remember something. When you're interested in something, you involve yourself in the key steps to moving information from short-term to long-term memory:

1. You connect the information to what you already know
2. You consider how the information could be applied
3. You test your ideas through action or discussion

For example, using the steps above, let's imagine you're studying the dot-com bubble of the 90s.

1. You remember a dominant Time Warner acquiring an optimistic AOL
2. You begin thinking about recent Internet takeovers (e.g., MySpace, YouTube) and become concerned about the consequences
3. You discuss over dinner with a friend

So, how can you develop interest in something less interesting, like 18th-century religious poetry? Try spending a few minutes Googling it for background history, try to connect through personal emotion, or partner with a friend to study and laugh about it. A little effort to create interest will save you time down the line.

This brings us to Tip #2: Divide your study time into short, repeated sessions. Want to remember a lecture?

1. Shortly before the lecture, skim your text for key ideas
2. Shortly after the lecture, take 10 minutes to jot down all the key ideas that you remember; then, compare what you've written to your class notes and fill in what you forgot
3. An hour or so later, repeat step 2
4. A day later, repeat step 2

Recent research shows that three repeated sessions are effective in building a permanent connection between brain cells (i.e., creating long-term memories). These repeated sessions still add up to less time than if you just read or listen once and then pull another all-nighter.

Finally, we've come to Tip #3: Don't forget what you learned in kindergarten! Flashcards work—and you can take them anywhere. Mnemonic devices work—have you forgotten learning ROYGBIV to help remember the colors of the rainbow? Coloring works—draw charts, diagrams or pictures to represent what you're learning. Grouping works—but not more than 10 items at a time. Songs and rhymes work—just like "Conjunction Junction, what's your function? Hookin' up words and phrases and clauses…."

Don't be afraid to try new study methods, CMIS, and don't forget to use the old, tried-and-true methods above. Be aware that different strategies work better for different subjects and professors, so be flexible, have fun and be confident. You have the power to change your mind!

Originally published in The UB Post, Jan. 31 2007